One small step

Let's replace "One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind" with "One small step for a publisher, one giant leap for Sharon."

Okay, I'm still buzzed, even though my news is not as giant as some of my other YAtopia pals. My novel Mishca is still waiting to be snapped up, but my short story Growth has been selected to appear in the Australian Literary Review's anthology The Basics of Life.

What does it mean for me? 4% of the profits - um that's not what got me excited. But having something of mine deemed to be worthy of publication, that kinda got me going. In fact, if got me jumping around the house exclaiming "I'm going to be a published author, I'm going to be a published author!"

Gave my family a bit of a fright when I came tearing out of the bedroom. Yes, you guessed it, I am an easily excitable and optimistic person. I believe from little things big things grow.

I also know that the news helped me get over my writer's block that I was having since my dad died last year. The irony - the story is about him.

If you look at one of my previous YAtopia posts you can read The First Night Without You Here, which is accounts how it felt for me coming to my parents house after finding out Dad had died and coping with looking after my mum, who had just lost her best friend of 40 years. Writing helps me deal and Growth helped me deal with the news that he had terminal cancer.

Since the news I have finished Karma, another short story that I plan on expanded into a novel, and my head is buzzing with ideas for my WIP. The fact that my husband just got me a new battery for my laptop means beach writing sessions are back, and I'm so jazzed about that!

So don't forget, if you're writing there are many ways to get your work out there. It doesn't always start with a book deal from a major publisher. That may happen after you establish yourself in other ways.

Have fun writing!